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Following on from my previous thread, I'd like to hear about your special experiences when you were a student or from any moment in your piano career, maybe a moment of epiphany; or hearing or learning something that clicked with you, which stayed with you for life, or that formed your music-making in the years to come.

I had some childhood experiences that I never forgot, but two stayed in my memory because they seem completely off my known universe - like fairy tales in fact, and impossible even in my wildest dreams.

Actually, one of them was a fairy tale - it came from a thick blue volume called "The World of Children", which my father bought to help me improve my English (which I'd just started learning in the past year, starting with the Western alphabet). It consisted of several short stories, but one in particular stuck with me, and I kept re-reading it, understanding more and more of it each time (with the help of my dictionary). I was ten and had just started piano lessons a few months before, and starting to play original piano music by great composers for the first time (like Mozart's K6 Minuet).

The story starts with a little boy practicing on his upright piano, and hating every moment of it. Then his mother went out to get some groceries, and so he stopped playing and stared out of the window, wishing he was outside kicking his football.

Suddenly, a wizard appeared in the garden and looked in through the window. He asked: "Why aren't you playing? That's a nice piano." The boy blurted: "No, it's an awful piano, and it makes a horrible sound, and I hate it!"

The wizard looked pensive and said: "Hmmm, maybe it's not as bad as you say. Shall I try it out?" The boy nodded and got off the bench, and in an instant, the wizard had jumped in through the window, and was seated at the piano. He said: "Why don't you get on top of the piano, so you can feel the music better?" The boy climbed up and lay on top of the upright. The wizard said: "Hold on tight!"

He started to play. The piano rumbled and growled and started shaking. Suddenly, the boy was in the midst of a violent storm, clinging onto the piano for dear life. Thunder & lightning flashed past. The boy had never felt so scared in his life, and yet so exhilarated. The sound was almost deafening. The wizard played as if possessed, his hands just a blur as they crashed up and down the keyboard at lightning speed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSeps37NGjs

Suddenly the storm was over, and the boy heard the sweetest song coming from the piano. He saw that the wizard was now playing as if in rapture, with eyes closed, a smile on his face.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVdlUIS29qQThe boy felt like he was floating effortlessly on the water of a beautiful lake, surrounded by snow-covered mountains. He'd never felt so at peace with himself, and he didn't want it to end.....

But eventually, the song finished, and he heard his mother opening the door and coming into the room. "Why are you lying on top of the piano?" his mother asked. The boy jumped down and said: "I've just been on the most amazing ride! This man played...." - he suddenly realized that the wizard had disappeared, and there was no-one sitting on the piano bench. His mother said: "Are you day-dreaming again? All right, you can go into the garden and play now."

The boy went out into the garden, but there was no sign of the wizard. So, he went back in and sat at the piano, hoping that the wizard would visit him again as soon as he started playing. After his mother had left the room, shaking her head with puzzlement, the wizard put his head in through the window and winked at him, saying: "You have a nice piano there. Keep practicing!" Then he disappeared.

From then on, the boy looked forward eagerly to practicing the piano, hoping to see the wizard again. But he never again re-appeared. However, the boy realized that the piano wasn't so bad after all, and he kept practicing every day. His teacher was amazed at the transformation, and he soon became her best student.

Eventually, many years later, the boy was able to play just like the wizard, creating violent storms and beautiful lakes, and a lot, lot else, just by playing the piano. He didn't need the wizard any more. He had become a virtuoso.

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That story (which I've related before in another context), slightly abridged for this thread, stayed with me, because though it was obviously a children's story with a moralistic message, I was reminded of it several times when I was a student when I attended a young virtuoso's recitals in my high school. He was also a student there, and I remembered him playing the Dante Sonata (with its vivid visions of heaven and he*l) with great power and panache and sensitivity, during which that story flashed again through my mind. And while I couldn't begin to approach his (or the wizard's ) level of pianism, I could - eventually - play music that could conjure up those images. After years and years of diligent practicing, of course (just like that kid in the story)......

Another childhood experience was of watching - on black & white TV - the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle played by Paul Badura-Skoda and Jörg Demus, again in my home country. It was a special treat for me, those weekly late-night programs (well past my bedtime) produced by ORF and imported by the national TV station to fill in the gap till close-down time and spread over several months, to hear great piano music beautifully played on a Bösendorfer Imperial. In fact, it was the only classical piano music I heard up till then, apart from that which I was learning & playing, and the pieces that my first teacher played for me after every lesson (which was another special treat for me in my first year of lessons).

Many years later, I went on a train journey around Western Europe, and.....played Beethoven (and a lot else) on a Bösendorfer Imperial in Vienna, reliving those programs I once watched as a kid .

OK, enough of my musings: over to you, and your own memorable experiences that inspired you to keep plugging at the piano......

"I don't play accurately - anyone can play accurately - but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life."

Have had the chance to meet with and/or see a number of famous concert pianists play at both solo and concerto performances over the years which include Van Cliburn, Jorge Bolet, Andre Watts, Byron Janis, Ruth Laredo, etc.

As for Van Cliburn did get to meet him in person many years ago when he did a long-play record signing at a local mall (i.e., J.C. Penney store) and was able to shake Mr. Cliburn's hand and had him sign a copy of his "My Favorite Chopin" album. Later got to see Cliburn perform at the Interlochen Music Camp (in Interlochen, MI) as I attended the 8 week summer music camp as a junior high school student and again in concerts at a local music hall when performing various concertos of Grieg, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.

Same applies to various other pianists (listed above) that had performed at the local music hall.

Mine isn't nearly as lovely and poetic as yours, bennevis. Thanks for sharing that story, btw!

Like xcdp88, my "defining moments" were often recitals or "meetings" (however brief) with pianists, such as running into Evgeny Kissin in a Vienna cafe after Eveline and I had in vain waited for him at the back entrance of the Musikverein. We finally gave up and went to get a cup of tea/coffee, defeated... and there he was, with half his family

But the most defining, in fact life-changing experience had to be that first recital. I need to give you a bit of background so the full impact becomes a little clearer. And I know many people here dislike Pogorelich, but I have to say, he's had the most profound influence on - well, my entire life really.

I grew up in a mid-size industrial town, in a worker's family. There were no books in our house, or classical music. We were all musical, sang in choirs etc., but my parents just didn't have that kind of education (they'd never been to a grammar school/high school). I fanatically played the piano and learned some theory and musical history on the side, but mostly I was interested in playing. In our town theatre, we sometimes had concerts, but only of regional soloists and orchestras - decent enough musicians, but nobody of world fame.

When I turned 18, I was in a phase when I didn't practise a lot. School was demanding (this was 1 1/2 years before my leaving exams) and took up a lot of time; I simply didn't have the time or energy and frankly, I'd kinda lost interest too. It was February and I had handed in the papers to stop my piano lessons with the end of that school year, in June.

For my 18th birthday, my dear Eveline - then my piano teacher and not yet a personal friend - gave me a ticket for a recital at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. For once in your life, she told me, you'll have to see a proper pianist. The recital was a month after my birthday, in March.

I was excited: Eveline picked me up in her car, and going to Frankfurt in itself was a special thing to do, and then to the Alte Oper, oh my, I felt all grown-up (which technically, I was, because in Germany, you're of age at 18). She told me a little about Ivo Pogorelich, the whole story with the Chopin competition he didn't win etc etc. I was curious, but really nothing could have prepared me for what was about to happen.

I remember the program to this day. He started with the "Tempest" sonata, and I think he had me at the first chord. I fell in love. With the whole thing, but most particularly the third movement. I swear I can still hear how he played it, and it was out of this world. The sonata op. 111 followed, then a Scriabin, eventually Gaspard de la Nuit.

I was reeling, unable to even being to process it. I felt like someone had hit me over the head with a blunt object. Up to then I'd had no idea that anyone could play on this level, that it was physically possible. It's hard to understand today, when you can look up any piece on YouTube and instantly hear 6 different versions by top pianists. It wasn't like that - you had to *buy* records, and I didn't have a lot of pocket money.

My entire view of music changed that night. I did a 180-degree turn, hardly did any school work at all and started practising like a fiend. I pestered Eveline that I wanted to play the Tempest sonata. She said I wasn't good enough yet, so I practised even more and a few months later, she gave in. I also decided to continue with lessons for another year, and Eveline grinned as she tore up my deregistration. That summer, I practised the Chopin Polonaise op. 44 whilst my friends went to the swimming pool every day. I spent every penny on records. Over my piano, I had an album cover (vinyl, so a good size) of guess-who pinned on the wall. Oh, and of course I had a huge crush on him (oh be quiet. Every female between 15 and 50 in the 80s, was in love with him. Show me one who wasn't and I'll show you a liar ).

My fierce dedication to music and the piano, the absolute knowledge that there's nothing more important in my life although I have many other interests and never made the music my profession, my dedication to culture and the arts in general, the considerable joy all this has brought to my life - all that wouldn't have happened if Eveline had decided to get me something else for my coming-of-age.

As for Van Cliburn did get to meet him in person many years ago when he did a long-play record signing at a local mall (i.e., J.C. Penney store) and was able to shake Mr. Cliburn's hand and had him sign a copy of his "My Favorite Chopin" album. Later got to see Cliburn perform at the Interlochen Music Camp (in Interlochen, MI) as I attended the 8 week summer music camp as a junior high school student and again in concerts at a local music hall when performing various concertos of Grieg, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.

Just curious - in what year did you hear Cliburn perform at Interlochen????

As for Van Cliburn did get to meet him in person many years ago when he did a long-play record signing at a local mall (i.e., J.C. Penney store) and was able to shake Mr. Cliburn's hand and had him sign a copy of his "My Favorite Chopin" album. Later got to see Cliburn perform at the Interlochen Music Camp (in Interlochen, MI) as I attended the 8 week summer music camp as a junior high school student and again in concerts at a local music hall when performing various concertos of Grieg, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.

Just curious - in what year did you hear Cliburn perform at Interlochen????

Thanks, for the question!

I happened to be in junior high school at the time (and had to figure out the year since it was a very long time ago) as I do believe I was 15 when I attended the summer camp so that would have been in 1974.

It wasn't like that - you had to *buy* records, and I didn't have a lot of pocket money.

Thanks for posting. This one sentence that piqued my attention.

*buy* records? This must have been somehow specific to your social circle.

*Everyone* was at that time copying music using the analog tape recorders. I remember as a kid being jealous of Germans who not only had better noise reduction in their tape machines, they also had noise-reduction on their ultra-short-wave radio! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Com#High_Com_FM

So you guys there didn't have like tape recording parties? When somebody would buy an imported vinyl record, invite everyone with their tape machines to copy it and then resell the record next weekend?

I only recall spending pocket money on the blank tapes and having the problem: which tape to erase and record something new over it. It was pretty much similar dilemma that the contemporary kids face when their Tivo fills out.

The main difference being that the digital copies normally don't degrade, whereas with the analog copies one had to be smart about minimizing generations of their copies.

To me the music overload with Youtube is kinda nothing new. I remember wearing out the heads in my tape machine and checking out the super-expensive "Laser Amorphous" three-head cassette deck.

I page-turned for Yefim Bronfman once. In rehearsal, when we were running through the pieces he needed page-turned, I was so star-struck that as he finished playing the first page, I just stared blankly and made no motion to turn the page. He turned to me very concerned and asked, "Are you sure you can do this?" Luckily, I snapped out of it and made no more mistakes either in rehearsal or in the actual performance.

The most memorable moment though was when he played the Revolutionary Etude as an encore. It was so loud and ferocious that, sitting next to him, I thought my ears were going to explode.

It wasn't like that - you had to *buy* records, and I didn't have a lot of pocket money.

Thanks for posting. This one sentence that piqued my attention.

*buy* records? This must have been somehow specific to your social circle.

*Everyone* was at that time copying music using the analog tape recorders. I remember as a kid being jealous of Germans who not only had better noise reduction in their tape machines, they also had noise-reduction on their ultra-short-wave radio! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Com#High_Com_FM

So you guys there didn't have like tape recording parties? When somebody would buy an imported vinyl record, invite everyone with their tape machines to copy it and then resell the record next weekend?

Haha, of course we did. With rock and pop music. I didn’t know anyone my age, though, who owned Pogorelich’s records. My school mates had posters of rock stars in their rooms, I was the weirdo who was in love with a classical pianist

There’s one more thing: even with rock music, I wanted to own the records of my absolute favourite bands. I taped all the other stuff. So I definitely wanted those piano albums for myself, and not just for the cover pictures...!

I remember the program to this day. He started with the "Tempest" sonata, and I think he had me at the first chord. I fell in love. With the whole thing, but most particularly the third movement. I swear I can still hear how he played it, and it was out of this world. The sonata op. 111 followed, then a Scriabin, eventually Gaspard de la Nuit.

I heard Pogorelich a few times when he performed in London, but unfortunately never got to hear him in his 'signature piece', Gaspard. His other would be Prok 6 (IMO), which again, I never heard him perform live. I didn't think he was well-suited to Chopin, however - his Funeral March sonata that I heard was alternately brusque and metronomic followed by daydreaming. He certainly had a rock-star's good looks at that time, and attracted a large number of groupies.......

However, I did hear Cristina Ortiz play Gaspard (the first time I heard it performed live) and it was quite mesmerizing......as well as the fact that she was quite beautiful and wore a slinky dress which left her entire back and shoulders exposed . The next day, I visited London's best book store which had (- and still has) an entire top floor devoted to classical music scores, and bought the score of Gaspard......only to discover that even the first page of Ondine was next to impossible for my fingers to get around . (It took a few more decades before I eventually learnt it).

I was lucky in being able to attend concerts by legendary figures like Michelangeli and Richter (who were every bit as amazing as their reputations, even in their later years), but unfortunately, I missed Horowitz. There's nothing like hearing great pianists perform (especially if you're able to get a good seat) to get you inspired to practice harder......

"I don't play accurately - anyone can play accurately - but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life."

[quote=ycdp88] As for Van Cliburn did get to meet him in person many years ago when he did a long-play record signing at a local mall (i.e., J.C. Penney store) and was able to shake Mr. Cliburn's hand and had him sign a copy of his "My Favorite Chopin" album. Later got to see Cliburn perform at the Interlochen Music Camp (in Interlochen, MI) as I attended the 8 week summer music camp as a junior high school student and again in concerts at a local music hall when performing various concertos of Grieg, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.

Just curious - in what year did you hear Cliburn perform at Interlochen????

I have the recording of My Favorite Chopin by van Cliburn .I played it so often it is now so scratched ,not worth listening to .Loved his playing. I remember he won the Tchaikovsky award in Russia if I am correct ?

I was fortunate as I was brought up in a musical home and heard classical music all the time especially piano music. My oldest brother (9 yrs older) played the piano and collected 78s and had literally thousands. I was brought up listening to all the great pianists, Schnabel, Cortot, Moiseiwitsch, Friedman, Rachmaninoff, Hofmann, young Rubinstein, Horowitz, etc. Now it is of course easier and better for youtube has virtually everything and everyone. I started playing pretty young and had a good ear and started lessons much later around but found them extraordinarily boring because I wanted to play Chopin, Liszt, Schumann not some simple piece and quit after around 4 months and taught myself. By that time my oldest brother was in College and when he came home I would ask him questions about notations on musical scores I didn't understand. I was playing alot if Chopin, nocturnes, polonaises and a few etudes. I remember playing a JCBach Sonata in the first grade at a talent show (way too fast I may add). I thought I could conquer anything and was too big for my britches. My oldest brother took me to my first concert when I was around 10-11 at Carnegie Hall. We had front row seats and right by the keyboard to watch Gyorgy Sandor play Prokofiev's 3rd piano concerto. That concert changed my life. I was simultaneously amazed and sickened. I realized that I really had very little talent as a pianist and gave up any idea of being a professional pianist on the spot. I was depressed for sometime with my bruised ego but got over it and became a frequent attendee of Carnegie, Avery Fisher and especially the 92nd St Y where I saw great recitals and concerts from the likes of Pollini, Berman, Gilels, Bolet, and many Cherkassky. I still play the piano now and then but mostly listen to the truly gifted and enjoy vicariously.

He certainly had a rock-star's good looks at that time, and attracted a large number of groupies.......

I remember that Ivo Pogorelic vs. Krystian Zimerman competition too. None of the adults were willing to explain to me what it is all about and repeatedly saying that I'll understand when I grow up. So obviously I redoubled my efforts to research the available press, which was constantly publishing color photos of both of them, with a rhetorical question: which one had more or better groupies.

Finally some weekly or monthly culture magazine published a well researched article with black&white photos proving that Artur Rubinstein outclassed them both in quantity and in quality of his groupies.

The whole tiff raged on for 5 years, but I more warmly recall Godzilla vs. Hedora (which was released at the approximately same time). I also got a lot of respect for Martha Argerich for openly quitting from that circus show.

Speaking of circus shows: thus far nobody mentioned that last year was the 1st International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments http://iccpi.eu/en . So that circus now has two rings.

As for Van Cliburn did get to meet him in person many years ago when he did a long-play record signing at a local mall (i.e., J.C. Penney store) and was able to shake Mr. Cliburn's hand and had him sign a copy of his "My Favorite Chopin" album. Later got to see Cliburn perform at the Interlochen Music Camp (in Interlochen, MI) as I attended the 8 week summer music camp as a junior high school student and again in concerts at a local music hall when performing various concertos of Grieg, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.

Just curious - in what year did you hear Cliburn perform at Interlochen????

Thanks, for the question! I happened to be in junior high school at the time (and had to figure out the year since it was a very long time ago) as I do believe I was 15 when I attended the summer camp so that would have been in 1974.

Thanks for the response …. and welcome to Piano World. I thought we might have been there the same year - but it appears that Cliburn also performed at Interlochen in the summer of 1977 when I was on staff as an accompanist. Sixteen years later I sat at the same table as Cliburn at a Symphony Association banquet in Dallas and had the chance to speak with him briefly afterwards. He was much taller than I expected !!

Thanks for the response …. and welcome to Piano World. I thought we might have been there the same year - but it appears that Cliburn also performed at Interlochen in the summer of 1977 when I was on staff as an accompanist. Sixteen years later I sat at the same table as Cliburn at a Symphony Association banquet in Dallas and had the chance to speak with him briefly afterwards. He was much taller than I expected !!

Yes, as I believe Cliburn was 6' 4'' tall which equals that of Rachmaninoff's height, also.

Cliburn's hand span was quite large as he could easily reach and play chords of the 11th and could hold down (with his left hand) a C with the fifth finger and stretch to hold a G with the thumb -- which is 12 notes!

Hi, bennevis! I'd have to say that my number one special experience was getting the opportunity to play in the 2007 Cliburn Amateur Competition. That was special in itself, but more so because I was indirectly featured (and photographed at the piano) in the Fort Worth newspaper as an example of one who selected repertoire very seldom played. The gist of the entire article was to promote the notion that piano music lovers could anticipate hearing just about anything, and that this was a good, healthy, value-added aspect. That was especially gratifying to me, because my main impetus for participating in the Amateur competitions was indeed to share repertoire that I personally found very compelling, but that never otherwise got heard.

As others have indicated, another major "bennie" of performing there was to get to shake Van Cliburn's hand. I've shared this anecdote before on PW -- but when the moment arrived, I said something to the effect that "Thank you for just everything you've done over the years to promote Classical piano" -- and he immediately lurched backwards in what seemed to me to be genuine astonishment. Now that may have been feigned surprise at receiving an effusive compliment; i.e., a reaction he'd developed over the years -- but it came across for me that he thought it was the last thing I'd ever say about him!

P.S. The two pieces I programmed for the 1st round were Leo Ornstein's "A Long Remembered Sorrow", and Deodat de Severac's "Le Jour de la Foire, au Mas". I didn't make it to the second round, but then I wasn't expecting to.

I heard Pogorelich a few times when he performed in London, but unfortunately never got to hear him in his 'signature piece', Gaspard. His other would be Prok 6 (IMO), which again, I never heard him perform live. I didn't think he was well-suited to Chopin, however - his Funeral March sonata that I heard was alternately brusque and metronomic followed by daydreaming. He certainly had a rock-star's good looks at that time, and attracted a large number of groupies.......

I said it before, it's funny how we always disagree on Chopin interpretations I'm the exact opposite: I loved his Funeral March and tried to emulate his version when I played it. Most Chopin pieces I've heard from him, become my "reference" version, like the Ballade No. 2.

Originally Posted by 90125

I remember that Ivo Pogorelic vs. Krystian Zimerman competition too. None of the adults were willing to explain to me what it is all about and repeatedly saying that I'll understand when I grow up. So obviously I redoubled my efforts to research the available press, which was constantly publishing color photos of both of them, with a rhetorical question: which one had more or better groupies.

I heard Pogorelich a few times when he performed in London, but unfortunately never got to hear him in his 'signature piece', Gaspard. His other would be Prok 6 (IMO), which again, I never heard him perform live. I didn't think he was well-suited to Chopin, however - his Funeral March sonata that I heard was alternately brusque and metronomic followed by daydreaming. He certainly had a rock-star's good looks at that time, and attracted a large number of groupies.......

I said it before, it's funny how we always disagree on Chopin interpretations I'm the exact opposite: I loved his Funeral March and tried to emulate his version when I played it. Most Chopin pieces I've heard from him, become my "reference" version, like the Ballade No. 2.

Originally Posted by 90125

I remember that Ivo Pogorelic vs. Krystian Zimerman competition too. None of the adults were willing to explain to me what it is all about and repeatedly saying that I'll understand when I grow up. So obviously I redoubled my efforts to research the available press, which was constantly publishing color photos of both of them, with a rhetorical question: which one had more or better groupies.